Comments on: How Does Google Analytics handle 301 and 302 Redirects? http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/practicing-web-analytics/how-does-google-analytics-handle-301-and-302-redirects/ geekiness for businesspeople. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:42:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: evanlapointe http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/practicing-web-analytics/how-does-google-analytics-handle-301-and-302-redirects/comment-page-1/#comment-17219 evanlapointe Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:57:34 +0000 http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/?p=302#comment-17219 You may have to set up the redirect to preserve parameters if it isn't already. Keep in mind that document.referrer (what tells the browser what page referred to the current page) is NOT where Google Analytics (or most analytics tools like WebTrends and SiteCatalyst) get campaign data. The campaign is determined by reading a URL parameter. If that parameter isn't present, the tool will use document.referrer. An example of where that would be bad is if someone clicked on an email ad from their Gmail account. If your campaign params are present, that visit will count as an email campaign visit. If they are missing, the referrer will be google.com. You can test this easily by just typing some fake parameters on the end of the page that will be redirected, like http://www.site.com/page.html?testparam=test. See if that goes to your next page and preserves the parameter "testparam". If not, you'll have to change your settings. Changing these settings depends entirely on your server (Apache, IIS, ...), so you'll just want to do a Google search for "preserve url parameters 301 redirect [servertype]". You may have to set up the redirect to preserve parameters if it isn’t already. Keep in mind that document.referrer (what tells the browser what page referred to the current page) is NOT where Google Analytics (or most analytics tools like WebTrends and SiteCatalyst) get campaign data. The campaign is determined by reading a URL parameter. If that parameter isn’t present, the tool will use document.referrer. An example of where that would be bad is if someone clicked on an email ad from their Gmail account. If your campaign params are present, that visit will count as an email campaign visit. If they are missing, the referrer will be google.com.

You can test this easily by just typing some fake parameters on the end of the page that will be redirected, like http://www.site.com/page.html?testparam=test. See if that goes to your next page and preserves the parameter “testparam”. If not, you’ll have to change your settings.

Changing these settings depends entirely on your server (Apache, IIS, …), so you’ll just want to do a Google search for “preserve url parameters 301 redirect [servertype]“.

]]> By: Yesenia http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/practicing-web-analytics/how-does-google-analytics-handle-301-and-302-redirects/comment-page-1/#comment-17039 Yesenia Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:15:09 +0000 http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/?p=302#comment-17039 Thanks for article. I thought your explanation was clear to me until I got to the "Keep in mind" point. I got confused by your "KEEP IN MIND: If you are using 301 redirects, make sure they preserve your tracking parameters (utm_source, etc., at the end of your destination URL)...." I use manual utm in all my emails as a best practice, so I just want to be sure that what I've been doing (setting up 301 redirects in old pages is still passing referrer information) I thought I only needed to setup a simple 301 on the server side and that will pass the referrer information to the new page (from any source: search, referrals, campaigns, etc). For example: original link: http://www.site.com/page1.aspx new page: http://www.site.com/new-page1.aspx to replace old URL 301 redirection (on server side) in place on http://www.site.com/page1.aspx to go to http://www.site.com/new-page1.aspx (no extra parameters) If the old link (page1.aspx) is found on search engines, the referrer information would pass to new-page1.aspx as "organic - engineX" If the old link was used in an email with extra utm variables: http://www.site.com/page1.aspx?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter+sep+2011, the referrer information would pass to new-page1.aspx as "email - marketing - newsletter sep 2011" How do I make "sure to preserve tracking parameters"? Do I need to add extra settings on the 301 redirection for email links to work? I appreciate your feedback on this. Thanks for article. I thought your explanation was clear to me until I got to the “Keep in mind” point. I got confused by your “KEEP IN MIND: If you are using 301 redirects, make sure they preserve your tracking parameters (utm_source, etc., at the end of your destination URL)….”

I use manual utm in all my emails as a best practice, so I just want to be sure that what I’ve been doing (setting up 301 redirects in old pages is still passing referrer information)

I thought I only needed to setup a simple 301 on the server side and that will pass the referrer information to the new page (from any source: search, referrals, campaigns, etc). For example:

original link: http://www.site.com/page1.aspx
new page: http://www.site.com/new-page1.aspx to replace old URL
301 redirection (on server side) in place on http://www.site.com/page1.aspx to go to http://www.site.com/new-page1.aspx (no extra parameters)

If the old link (page1.aspx) is found on search engines, the referrer information would pass to new-page1.aspx as “organic – engineX”
If the old link was used in an email with extra utm variables: http://www.site.com/page1.aspx?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter+sep+2011, the referrer information would pass to new-page1.aspx as “email – marketing – newsletter sep 2011″

How do I make “sure to preserve tracking parameters”? Do I need to add extra settings on the 301 redirection for email links to work?

I appreciate your feedback on this.

]]> By: Sean http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/practicing-web-analytics/how-does-google-analytics-handle-301-and-302-redirects/comment-page-1/#comment-17035 Sean Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:44:32 +0000 http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/?p=302#comment-17035 Evan, thanks for this write-up! This was something I always thought was true in my gut, but hadn't actually confirmed until now. Evan, thanks for this write-up! This was something I always thought was true in my gut, but hadn’t actually confirmed until now.

]]> By: evanlapointe http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/practicing-web-analytics/how-does-google-analytics-handle-301-and-302-redirects/comment-page-1/#comment-16084 evanlapointe Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:28:12 +0000 http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/?p=302#comment-16084 You will want to set your 301 redirect up to include URL parameters to tell Google Analytics or your tool of choice that it is part of your radio campaign. http://www.vanityDomain.com redirects to http://www.realDomain.com/page.html?utm_source=vanityDomain.com&utm_medium=radio&utm_campaign=radio+promo+192 You will want to set your 301 redirect up to include URL parameters to tell Google Analytics or your tool of choice that it is part of your radio campaign.

http://www.vanityDomain.com

redirects to

http://www.realDomain.com/page.html?utm_source=vanityDomain.com&utm_medium=radio&utm_campaign=radio+promo+192

]]> By: David http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/practicing-web-analytics/how-does-google-analytics-handle-301-and-302-redirects/comment-page-1/#comment-16082 David Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:01:44 +0000 http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/?p=302#comment-16082 Thanks for the time you've taken to explain things here. Unfortunately, I am not getting clarity to what I am trying to do. I am launching a radio ad campaign. In doing so, I'd like to set up a new domain name used exclusively for the radio ads. I would forward that domain to my main site. I'd like to do this to measure exactly how well the radio ad is working, based on how many hits I get as a result of people going to the forwarded domain. My questions are, - do I use site forwarding or 301 redirecting? - Will GA capture this information? Thanks for the time you’ve taken to explain things here. Unfortunately, I am not getting clarity to what I am trying to do. I am launching a radio ad campaign. In doing so, I’d like to set up a new domain name used exclusively for the radio ads. I would forward that domain to my main site. I’d like to do this to measure exactly how well the radio ad is working, based on how many hits I get as a result of people going to the forwarded domain. My questions are,
- do I use site forwarding or 301 redirecting?
- Will GA capture this information?

]]> By: Facebook kampagne giver ingen trafik iflg. Google Analytics http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/practicing-web-analytics/how-does-google-analytics-handle-301-and-302-redirects/comment-page-1/#comment-16036 Facebook kampagne giver ingen trafik iflg. Google Analytics Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:47:10 +0000 http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/?p=302#comment-16036 [...] How Does Google Analytics handle 301 and 302 Redirects? Tweet This entry was posted in Webstatistik. Bookmark the permalink. ← Don’t bullshit artiklen af Peter Svarre Flere social medie eksperter, end der er børn i folkeskolen → [...] [...] How Does Google Analytics handle 301 and 302 Redirects? Tweet This entry was posted in Webstatistik. Bookmark the permalink. ← Don’t bullshit artiklen af Peter Svarre Flere social medie eksperter, end der er børn i folkeskolen → [...]

]]> By: evanlapointe http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/practicing-web-analytics/how-does-google-analytics-handle-301-and-302-redirects/comment-page-1/#comment-14048 evanlapointe Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:43:06 +0000 http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/?p=302#comment-14048 Yep, you used the right thing to check your redirects. I might need some more detail to take a closer look at this case. Please email me. My contact information is on evanlapointe.com Yep, you used the right thing to check your redirects. I might need some more detail to take a closer look at this case. Please email me. My contact information is on evanlapointe.com

]]> By: kevin http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/practicing-web-analytics/how-does-google-analytics-handle-301-and-302-redirects/comment-page-1/#comment-14047 kevin Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:21:34 +0000 http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/?p=302#comment-14047 <a href="#comment-14037" rel="nofollow">@evanlapointe:</a> Hi Evan, thanks for your prompt reply ! I actually used http://www.internetofficer.com/seo-tool/redirect-check/ in order to check the redirects and all seems fine (301, correct redirecting URL, passed parameters...). Not sure if that's what you meant by 'verified these redirects'. Besides and maybe interestingly, the volume was pretty high in October but only between the 10th and 16th). Then, I compared the volume of these referrals after the redirects to the one couple of months ago -before the redirects- and it's almost same. http://aaa.com was shown a referral site and is still. Seems like, even the redirects do not have any effects on that volume. So many questions... Are my redirects correctly set ? I would say yes. What happened between the 10th and 16th of October ? Can it be because people type directly in Google search the keywords for that site ? Can it be because of people accessing the site through a newsletter ? Why http://aaa.com is still shown in the reports as referral site ? Once again thanks for your help Evan ! @evanlapointe:

Hi Evan,

thanks for your prompt reply ! I actually used http://www.internetofficer.com/seo-tool/redirect-check/ in order to check the redirects and all seems fine (301, correct redirecting URL, passed parameters…). Not sure if that’s what you meant by ‘verified these redirects’.

Besides and maybe interestingly, the volume was pretty high in October but only between the 10th and 16th). Then, I compared the volume of these referrals after the redirects to the one couple of months ago -before the redirects- and it’s almost same. http://aaa.com was shown a referral site and is still. Seems like, even the redirects do not have any effects on that volume.

So many questions…

Are my redirects correctly set ? I would say yes.
What happened between the 10th and 16th of October ? Can it be because people type directly in Google search the keywords for that site ? Can it be because of people accessing the site through a newsletter ?
Why http://aaa.com is still shown in the reports as referral site ?

Once again thanks for your help Evan !

]]> By: evanlapointe http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/practicing-web-analytics/how-does-google-analytics-handle-301-and-302-redirects/comment-page-1/#comment-14037 evanlapointe Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:34:59 +0000 http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/?p=302#comment-14037 Kevin, I'm not exactly sure what's happening. Have you verified these redirects with a third-party redirect checker? You could also be getting some legacy referral data coming in. Is the volume of these referrals significantly smaller now, or is it about the same as before? Kevin,

I’m not exactly sure what’s happening. Have you verified these redirects with a third-party redirect checker? You could also be getting some legacy referral data coming in. Is the volume of these referrals significantly smaller now, or is it about the same as before?

]]> By: kevin http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/practicing-web-analytics/how-does-google-analytics-handle-301-and-302-redirects/comment-page-1/#comment-14020 kevin Tue, 08 Nov 2011 04:54:07 +0000 http://www.atlantaanalytics.com/?p=302#comment-14020 Hi there, I got a website let say, http://www.aaa.com.au. In IIS, this site's bindings were set to http://www.aaa.com.au, http://aaa.com.au, http://aaa.com and http://www.aaa.com. In my GA reports, the referrer shown http://aaa.com Thinking that bindings could be the issue, I then created redirects (301) such as all bindings are pointing (redirect + parameters -$V$Q) to http://www.aaa.com.au/. I still got http://aaa.com as referrer...I am clueless... Thanks for helps ! Hi there,
I got a website let say, http://www.aaa.com.au. In IIS, this site’s bindings were set to http://www.aaa.com.au, http://aaa.com.au, http://aaa.com and http://www.aaa.com. In my GA reports, the referrer shown http://aaa.com

Thinking that bindings could be the issue, I then created redirects (301) such as all bindings are pointing (redirect + parameters -$V$Q) to http://www.aaa.com.au/.

I still got http://aaa.com as referrer…I am clueless…

Thanks for helps !

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